Battery temperature adjusting system and operating method thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a battery temperature adjusting system including: a battery unit having a heating pad; a leading wire connected to the battery unit; and a current induction unit surrounding the leading wire, wherein the current induction unit is electrically connected to the heating pad. The battery temperature adjusting system according to the present invention generates the induced current by applying the current induction unit surrounding the leading wire connected to the battery unit, and increases the temperature of the battery unit by supplying the induced current to the heating pad, thereby obtaining a desired battery output in a low-temperature region even without the use of an external power source.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/740,894, filed Jan. 14, 2013, which is a Continuation ofInternational Application No. PCT/KR2012/005623 filed on Jul. 13, 2012,which claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0069847filed in the Republic of Korea on Jul. 14, 2011, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a battery temperatureadjusting system, and an operating method thereof.

Typically, as the temperature of a battery used for hybrid vehicles,electric vehicles, and the like decreases, the internal resistance ofthe battery increases sharply and the capacity of the battery thusdecreases to reduce output power, and particularly the capacity of thebattery at a low temperature of 0° C. or less decreases to less thanhalf of the capacity at room temperature.

To improve such limitations, a method for raising the temperature of abattery using power of the battery itself has been typically used.However, the typical method consumes energy other than car driving,thereby causing the output of the battery to be lowered overall. Thatis, since the energy needed to raise the temperature of the battery issupplied from the battery itself, the energy for car driving isadditionally consumed.

Therefore, there is a demand for a study on a method for raising thetemperature of a battery while not reducing the output power of thebattery even without extra power supply.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a battery temperature adjusting systemand an operating method thereof, the battery temperature adjustingsystem including: a battery unit having a heating pad; a leading wireconnected to the battery unit; and a current induction unit surroundingthe leading wire, wherein the current induction unit is electricallyconnected to the heating pad.

However, the object of the present invention is not limited to theaforesaid, but other objects not described herein will be clearlyunderstood by those skilled in the art from descriptions below.

Embodiments of the present invention provide battery temperatureadjusting systems including: a battery unit including a heating pad; aleading wire connected to the battery unit; and a current induction unitsurrounding the leading wire, wherein the current induction unit iselectrically connected to the heating pad.

In some embodiments, the battery temperature adjusting system mayinclude: a motor unit: a battery unit including a heating pad; a leadingwire connecting the motor unit and the battery unit; and a currentinduction unit surrounding the leading wire, wherein the currentinduction unit is electrically connected to the heating pad.

In other embodiments, the battery unit may include a plurality of cellsand a plurality of heating pads.

In still other embodiments, the cell may be a lithium secondary battery.

In even other embodiments, the battery unit may be used as at least onepower source for a middle- or large-sized device from among anelectrically driven vehicle including an electric vehicle (EV), a hybridelectric vehicle (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV); anelectric truck; an electric commercial vehicle; and a power storagesystem.

In yet other embodiments, the heating pad may include a heating wire.

In further embodiments, the current induction unit may include asolenoid coil.

In still further embodiments, the solenoid coil may be made of metal ormetal alloy having a conductivity of 5.80×10⁶ mhos/m or more.

In even further embodiments, the system may further include a controlunit for controlling the temperature of the battery unit.

In yet further embodiments, the control unit may be a solid state relayswitch unit.

In other embodiments, the system may further include a device forincreasing the temperature of the battery unit by using power of thebattery itself.

In still other embodiments, the system may further include a device forincreasing the temperature of the battery unit by using an extra powersource

In even other embodiments of the present invention, methods foroperating a battery temperature adjusting system include: (a) chargingand discharging a battery unit by generating a current in a leading wireconnected to the battery unit, and generating a magnetic force aroundthe leading wire; (b) generating an induced current in a currentinduction unit surrounding the leading wire through the magnetic forcegenerated in operation (a); and (c) supplying the induced currentgenerated in operation (b).

In yet other embodiments, the method may include: (a) charging anddischarging the battery unit by generating an electric current in theleading wire connecting a motor unit and the battery unit having theheating pad, and generating a magnetic force around the leading wire;(b) generating an induced current inside the current induction unitwhich surrounds the leading wire through the magnetic force generated inoperation (a); and supplying the induced current generated in operation(b) to the heating pad

In further embodiments, the method may further include cutting off theinduced current supplied in operation (c) when the temperature of thebattery unit is increased over a reference temperature.

A battery temperature adjusting system according to the presentinvention generates an induced current by applying a current inductionunit surrounding a leading wire (specifically, a leading wire connectinga motor unit and a battery unit) connected to a battery unit, andsupplies the induced current to a heating pad to raise the temperature,thereby obtaining a desired battery output in a low-temperature regioneven without an external power source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the present invention, and are incorporated in andconstitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrateexemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with thedescription, serve to explain principles of the present invention. Inthe drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a battery temperature adjustingsystem according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a battery unit including aheating pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hitherto, there has never been found an application example of a batterytemperature adjusting system by applying a current induction unitsurrounding a leading wire connected to a battery unit to generate aninduced current. Thus, the present inventors confirmed that a desiredbattery output could be obtained in a low-temperature region by raisingthe temperature of a battery even without an external power source inthe middle of researches on a battery temperature adjusting system, andhave finally completed the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail below.

The present invention provides a battery temperature adjusting system,the system including: a battery unit having a heating pad; a leadingwire connected to the battery unit; and a current induction unitsurrounding the leading wire, wherein the current induction unit iselectrically connected to the heating pad.

Specifically, the present invention provides a battery temperatureadjusting system which includes: a motor unit: a battery unit having aheating pad; a leading wire connecting the motor unit and the batteryunit; and a current induction unit surrounding the leading wire, whereinthe current induction unit is electrically connected to the heating pad.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in moredetail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be exemplarilyillustrated while various modifications and variations are possible,which will be described in detail below. However, it is not intended todelimit the present invention to special forms disclosed herein; ratherit is intended that the present invention covers modifications,equivalents, and replacements which fall within the idea of the presentinvention defined by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a battery temperature adjustingsystem according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2is a schematic view illustrating a battery unit including a heating padaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the battery temperature adjusting systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention includes a motorunit 100, a battery unit 200 having a heating pad 210, a leading wire300 connecting the motor unit 100 and cells 220 of the battery unit 200;and a current induction unit 400 surrounding the leading wire 300,wherein the current induction unit 400 is electrically connected to theheating pad 210.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the battery unit 200 may include a pluralityof cells 220 and a plurality of heating pads 210, and, more desirably,the battery unit 200 may include a plurality cells 220 connected to eachother and a plurality of heating pads 210 disposed between therespective cells 220. However, the present invention is not limitedthereto. The heating pad 210 may include a heating wire 211.

The motor unit 100 receives electric energy from the battery unit 200 totransform the electric energy into mechanical energy, and may be an ACmotor or DC motor. For example, the motor unit 100 may be a device fordriving a power tool; an electrically driven vehicle including anelectric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and a plug-inhybrid electric vehicle (PHEV); an electric truck; an electriccommercial vehicle; or a power storage system.

The battery unit 200 supplies energy for driving the motor unit 100, andcan keep the temperature constant by including the plurality of cells220 which are electrically connected, and the heating pads 210 disposedbetween the respective cells 220. Here, the cell 220 may be preferably asecondary battery which is rechargeable, and more preferably a lithiumsecondary battery, but is not limited thereto.

Specifically, the heating pad 210 is electrically connected to thecurrent induction unit 400, and connected to the leading wire connectedto the current induction unit 400 to receive an induced current from thecurrent induction unit 400. The heating pad 210 may have a structuresuch that a first heating pad and a second heating pad are disposed inan upper portion and a lower portion, respectively, and the heating wire211 is disposed between the first and second heating pads. Herein, acontact portion between the heating wire 211 and the leading wire and aleading wire hole are formed between the first and second heating pads,so that the heating pad 210 is connected to the leading wire. Inparticular, the heating wire 211 is built in the heating pad 210, andfunctions to raise the temperature of the cell 220 by receiving theinduced current generated from the current induction unit 400. A type ofthe heating wire is not particularly limited, and thus a general heatingwire, a silicon heating wire, a carbon heating wire, a specializedcarbon heating wire, a non-magnetic heating wire, or the like may beused as the heating wire.

The battery unit may be diversely used as at least one power source fora middle- or large-sized device from among a power tool; an electricallydriven vehicle including an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electricvehicle (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV); an electrictruck; an electric commercial vehicle; and a power storage system.

The current induction unit 400 is electrically connected to the heatingpad 210, and may be formed to surround the leading wire 300 connectingthe motor unit 100 and the battery unit 200 in order to supply aninduced current. In an embodiment, the current induction unit 400 may beconfigured by a solenoid coil which is produced by densely and uniformlywinding the leading wire 300 around a cylinder or the like.

Generally, a magnetic field is generated around the leading wire throughwhich an electric current flows. When an electric current flows throughthe leading wire which is densely and uniformly wound spirally around acylinder, a magnetic flux outside the cylinder is almost 0, and amagnetic flux inside the cylinder is relatively uniform. Therefore, thesolenoid coil is an energy transformer because it transforms electricenergy into magnetic energy, and thus becomes an electromagnet which mayadjust the intensity of a magnetic field by controlling the intensity ofelectric current. An induced current generated at this time is affectedby inductance which is determined according to materials and types ofthe solenoid coil, and the inductance is calculated as follow.L=μ ₀ n ² lA

L=inductance

μ₀=permeability in vacuum

n=number of turns per unit length

l=length of solenoid coil

A=sectional area of solenoid coil

The solenoid coil is made of metal or metal alloy with excellentelectrical conductivity, and may be made of metal or metal alloy havinga conductivity of 5.80×10⁶ mhos/m or more. Thus, any metal or metalalloy having a conductivity of 5.80×10⁶ mhos/m or more may be used forthe solenoid coil, but, in one specific embodiment of the presentinvention, the solenoid coil made of copper was used. Particularly,copper has an excellent conductivity of 5.80×10⁷ mhos/m.

Also, the battery temperature adjusting system according to the presentinvention may further include a control unit 500 for controlling thetemperature of the battery unit 200.

The control unit 500 detects the surface temperature of the cell 220 ofthe battery unit 200 in real time, and thus, if the temperature isgreater than a reference temperature, the controller 500 cuts off theinduced current, thereby maintaining the temperature of the cell 200 ofthe battery 200 to a proper temperature. Specifically, the control unit500 may be a switch unit, and more particularly, the control unit 500may be a solid state relay switch unit. By using the solid state relayas a switch unit, it is possible to increase a switching service lifeand perform a switching operation with higher reliability. The referencetemperature of the battery unit 200 may be preferably in the range of20° C. to 30° C., and more preferably room temperature (25° C.), but isnot limited thereto. If the temperature of the battery unit 200 isincreased beyond the reference temperature, the battery is degraded tohave a negative effect. Thus the temperature of the battery unit 200should be detected in real time to cut off the induced current.

Also, the battery temperature adjusting system according to the presentinvention may be additionally used together with a typical temperatureadjusting device.

As a specific embodiment, the battery temperature adjusting systemaccording to the present invention may further include at least one of adevice for raising the temperature of the battery unit by using power ofthe battery itself, and a device for raising the temperature of thebattery unit by using an extra power source.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method for operating the battery temperature adjusting system, themethod including: (a) charging and discharging the battery by generatinga current in a leading wire connected to a battery unit having a heatingpad, and generating a magnetic force around the leading wire; (b)generating an induced current inside a current induction unit whichsurrounds the leading wire through the magnetic force generated inoperation (a); and supplying the induced current generated in operation(b) to the heating pad.

Specifically, the present invention provides a method for operating thebattery temperature adjusting system, which includes: (a) charging anddischarging the battery unit 200 by generating a current in the leadingwire 300 connecting the motor unit 100 and the battery unit 200 havingthe heating pad 210, and generating a magnetic force around the leadingwire 300; (b) generating an induced current inside the current inductionunit 400 which surrounds the leading wire 300 through the magnetic forcegenerated in operation (a); and supplying the induced current generatedin operation (b) to the heating pad 210.

Also, the method for operating the battery temperature adjusting system,according to the present invention, may further include cutting off theinduced current supplied in operation (c) when the temperature of thebattery unit 200 is increased over the reference temperature.

In the method for operating the battery temperature adjusting system,according to the present invention, an electric current is generated inthe leading wire 300 connecting the motor unit 100 and the battery unit200 through charging and discharging of the battery unit. This leads tothe generation of a magnetic force around the leading wire 300 accordingto the Ampere's right-handed screw rule. The induced current isgenerated in the current induction unit 400 surrounding the leading wire300 through the magnetic force. The generated induced current issupplied to the heating pad 210 of the battery unit 200, and then heatsthe battery unit 200 to raise the temperature. When the temperature isincreased over the reference temperature by detecting the temperature ofthe battery unit 200 in real time, the temperature of the battery unit200 may be adjusted by cutting off the induced current which is beingsupplied.

The reference temperature of the battery unit 200 may be preferably inthe range of 20° C. to 30° C., and more preferably room temperature (25°C.), but is not limited thereto. If the temperature of the battery unit200 is increased beyond the reference temperature, the battery isdegraded to have a negative effect. Thus the temperature of the batteryunit 200 should be detected in real time to cut off the induced current.

As described above, the battery temperature adjusting system accordingto the present invention generates an induced current by applying thecurrent induction unit 400 surrounding a leading wire connected to thebattery unit, for example, the leading wire 300 which connects the motorunit 100 and the battery unit 200, and then supplies the induced currentto the heating pad 210 to thereby raise the temperature of the batteryunit 200. Thus, it is possible to increase the battery output up to 20%even without the use of an external power source when compared withtypical methods for increasing the temperature of the battery usingpower of the battery itself in a low-temperature region of 0° C. orless.

The foregoing description of the present invention is consideredillustrative, and a person skilled in the art to which the presentinvention pertains would understand that the present invention could beeasily modified into other specific embodiments without change in thetechnical idea and essential features of the present invention.Therefore, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all theaspects, and should be construed as not being limitative.

What is claimed is:
 1. A battery temperature adjusting system, comprising: a battery unit including a heating pad; a leading wire connected to the battery unit; and a current induction unit surrounding the leading wire, wherein the current induction unit is electrically connected to the heating pad, wherein the heating pad has a first heating pad disposed in an upper portion and a second heating pad disposed in a lower portion, and a heating wire disposed between the first heating pad and the second heating pad, wherein current induced in the current induction unit is supplied to the heating wire, wherein the heating wire is connected continuously from a first end point of the heating pad to a second end point of the heating pad, the second end point being located opposite the first end point, wherein the current induction unit comprises a solenoid coil, wherein the battery unit comprises a plurality of cells and a plurality of heating pads which are alternatively stacked, and wherein the heating wire is formed in a zig-zag shape with respect to a cell stacking direction.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a motor electrically connected to the battery unit by the leading wire.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cell is a lithium secondary battery.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery unit is used as at least one power source for a middle- or large-sized device from among an electrically driven vehicle including an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV); an electric truck; an electric commercial vehicle; and a power storage system.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the solenoid coil is made of metal or metal alloy having a conductivity of 5.80×106 mhos/m or more.
 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the temperature of the battery unit.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the control unit is a solid state relay switch unit.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device for increasing the temperature of the battery unit by using power of the battery itself.
 9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a device for increasing the temperature of the battery unit by using an extra power source.
 10. A method for operating a battery temperature adjusting system, the method comprising: (a) charging and discharging a battery unit by generating a current in a leading wire connected to the battery unit, and generating a magnetic force around the leading wire, the battery unit including a heating pad; (b) generating an induced current in a current induction unit surrounding the leading wire through the magnetic force generated in operation (a); and (c) supplying the induced current generated in operation (b) to a heating wire, wherein the heating pad has a first heating pad disposed in an upper portion and a second heating pad disposed in a lower portion, and the heating wire disposed between the first heating pad and the second heating pad, wherein the heating wire is connected continuously from a first end point of the heating pad to a second end point of the heating pad, the second end point being located opposite the first end point, wherein the current induction unit comprises a solenoid coil, wherein the battery unit comprises a plurality of cells and a plurality of heating pads which are alternatively stacked, and wherein the heating wire is formed in a zig-zag shape with respect to a cell stacking direction.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the leading wire is connected to a motor, and wherein the induced current is supplied to the heating pad.
 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising cutting off the induced current supplied in operation (c) when the temperature of the battery unit is increased over a reference temperature. 